20 New MDs for the USA Graduate from Cuba’s Latin American Medical School [View all]

[Mika]

20 New MDs for the USA Graduate from Cuba’s Latin American Medical School

Diplomas went to 1,382 new MDs here today at the Medical University of Havana’s graduation ceremonies that also included graduates of the Latin American Medical School (ELAM). Of the 879 international graduates from 28 countries, 20 were US students completing six-year ELAM scholarships. Professors and hundreds of parents packed the Cuban labor union auditorium for the event, presided over by Cuban Vice President Ramón Machado Ventura and Minister of Health Roberto Morales, among others.

Of the total Havana graduates, 58.5% are women, a percentage surpassed among the US grads where three-fourths are female—new doctors such as Jany Dotel, Parastou Malek, Joanna Mae Souers, Medhanite Tekle and Kari Koch. In interviews with MEDICC as they unfurled their diplomas, each expressed gratitude to the Cubans’ hospitality over so many years and to their professors for unflagging support. Their plans are many: Joanne, originally from Rhinebeck, NY, is headed for a course at Montefiore Hospital in New York, and will join the Transition Project to attend to health needs of recently incarcerated people; Jany hopes to return to her native Bronx, NY, to “serve the underserved” and become a role model for other young African-Americans; Kari , who hails from North Carolina, wants to go into rural practice, “to become part of a small community, much like Cuban doctors are able to do”; Parastou from Martinez, CA and Medhanite from Alexandria, VA, both plan to work in family medicine, and Parastou also sees international service in her future.

Clemente Robles from NY says the first thing he plans to do back home is “babysit my two children, ages three and two years”, then get to work passing the one step he has pending in the three-step US Medical Licensing Exam, and finally to work in the area of public health policy. Eduardo Cervantes from Corvallis, OR, intends to specialize in pediatrics; and Malik Sharif of Cleveland, OH, says besides his professional goals, he wants to “give back to my family, help them the way they helped me make it through medical school.”
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Graduations are being held at all Cuban provincial medical universities this week, where both Cuban and international ELAM students are receiving their degrees, in addition to those in nursing and allied health professions.


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